As the race to build the world’s first full-scale quantum computer heats up, one NATO-backed startup is taking an unconventional approach to chip production that could reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Italy-based Ephos makes photonic quantum chips, a key component in powering this new generation of hyper-fast, energy-hungry computers. It is also the first company in the world to make them out of glass rather than silicon. Photonic chips use light to transfer information as opposed to electricity, and while they aren’t the only type of quantum chip, they are one of the most energy efficient because of their ability to operate at regular temperatures. Photonic technologies are already being used to limit the soaring energy footprint of artificial intelligence. “A lot of the energy cost of quantum computers comes from keeping them cool,” said Andrea Rocchetto, theoretical physicist and founder of Ephos. “Fortunately, using light, we can run them at room temperature.” Although traditional data centers can for the most part use standard methods of air or liquid cooling, many quantum systems—most notably the superconducting chips used by industry heavyweights such as International Business Machines and D-Wave Quantum—require cryogenic cooling to keep them operating at around minus 460 degrees.

Full report : NATO-backed startup, Ephos is betting on glass to make greener and cleaner chips for for Quantum Computing.